Motor vehicle having an electric seat adjuster for a seat and method of using the same

Abstract

A motor vehicle has an electric seat adjuster for a seat and an occupant protection system with a belt assigned to the seat. In the buckled condition, the belt restrains an occupant in the event of a vehicle impact. The adjusting range of the seat adjuster changed as a function of the buckling condition of the belt. In preferred arrangements, the adjusting range is limited to a narrow adjusting range if the belt is not buckled and is limited to a wide adjusting range if the belt is buckled.

1. Motor vehicle comprising:
 an electric seat adjuster for a seat, and 
 an occupant protection system comprising a belt assigned to the seat, which belt, in a buckled condition, restrains an occupant in an event of a vehicle impact, 
 wherein, an adjusting range of the seat adjuster, which adjusting range limits an extent of adjustment of the position of said vehicle seat by said occupant, is limited to a narrow adjusting range if the belt is not buckled and is limited to a wider adjusting range if the belt is buckled. 
 
     
     
       2. Motor vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein, if, at a start of the motor vehicle, the belt is not buckled and the seat is adjusted in a position outside the narrow adjusting range, the seat is automatically moved into a position within the narrow adjusting range and/or a warning signal is emitted. 
     
     
       3. Motor vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein, if the belt is opened up during the driving operation and thus the buckling condition changes from “belt is buckled” to “belt is not buckled”, the seat automatically moves from a position outside the narrow adjusting range into a position within the narrow adjusting range and/or a warning signal is emitted. 
     
     
       4. Motor vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the seat can be moved from a position outside the narrow adjusting range to a position within the narrow adjusting range only above a predefined minimal speed of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       5. Motor vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein the seat is moved automatically from a position outside the narrow adjusting range to a position within the narrow adjusting range only above a predefined minimal speed of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       6. Motor vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the seat is moved so slowly into the narrow adjusting range that the moving of the seat is perceived by the occupant as not being disturbing or is almost not perceived. 
     
     
       7. Motor vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein the seat is moved so slowly into the narrow adjusting range that the moving of the seat is perceived by the occupant as not being disturbing or is almost not perceived. 
     
     
       8. Motor vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the moving of the seat is acoustically, haptically or visually indicated to the occupant. 
     
     
       9. Motor vehicle according to  claim 3 , wherein the moving of the seat is acoustically, haptically or visually indicated to the occupant. 
     
     
       10. Motor vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein a narrow adjusting range and a wide adjusting range are provided for at least one electrically adjustable component of the seat. 
     
     
       11. Motor vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein a narrow adjusting range and a wide adjusting range are provided for at least one electrically adjustable component of the seat. 
     
     
       12. Motor vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the seat is automatically moved into a position within the narrow adjusting range after the stoppage of the motor vehicle and after the occupant has left the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       13. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
 a vehicle seat; 
 a seat belt assigned to the seat and operable in a buckled condition to restrain a seat occupant during a vehicle impact event; 
 a seat adjuster for adjusting the position of said vehicle seat; and 
 a seat adjuster controller operable by a seat occupant to control adjustment of the vehicle seat by said seat adjuster; 
 wherein an adjusting range, which limits an extent of possible adjustment of said vehicle seat by said seat occupant, is varied as a function of whether the seat belt is buckled or unbuckled. 
 
     
     
       14. An assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the seat adjuster controller is operable to change the adjusting range between a predetermined narrow range and a predetermined wider range. 
     
     
       15. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the seat adjuster is operable to adjust a spacing between a vehicle airbag and the seat, and
 wherein the seat adjuster changes to the narrow range when the belt is unbuckled. 
 
     
     
       16. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the adjuster is operable to adjust a plurality of seat components,
 wherein the seat adjuster is operable to adjust a spacing between a vehicle airbag and at least one of said seat components. 
 
     
     
       17. An assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the seat adjuster changes to the narrow range when the belt is unbuckled. 
     
     
       18. An assembly according to  claim 15 , comprising warning means for providing a warning signal when the narrow range is selected by the seat adjuster controller. 
     
     
       19. An assembly according to  claim 17 , comprising warning means for providing a warning signal when the narrow range is selected by the seat adjuster controller. 
     
     
       20. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein, if the belt is opened up during the driving operation and thus the buckling condition changes from “belt is buckled” to “belt is not buckled”, the seat automatically moves from a position outside the narrow adjusting range into a position within the narrow adjusting range and/or a warning signal is emitted. 
     
     
       21. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the seat can be moved from a position outside the narrow adjusting range to a position within the narrow adjusting range only above a predefined minimal speed of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       22. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the seat is moved so slowly into the narrow adjusting range that the moving of the seat is perceived by the occupant as not being disturbing or is almost not perceived. 
     
     
       23. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the moving of the seat is acoustically, haptically or visually indicated to the occupant. 
     
     
       24. An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the seat is automatically moved into a position within the narrow adjusting range after the stoppage of the motor vehicle and after the occupant has left the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       25. A method of operating a vehicle seat assembly comprising:
 a vehicle seat; 
 a seat belt assigned to the seat an operable in a buckled condition to restrain a seat occupant during a vehicle impact event; 
 a seat adjuster for adjusting the position of said seat; and 
 a seat adjuster controller operable by an occupant of said vehicle seat to control adjustment of the vehicle seat by said seat adjuster; wherein 
 an adjusting range, which limits an extent of possible adjustment of said vehicle seat by said seat occupant, is varied as a function of whether the seat belt is buckled or unbuckled; and 
 said method including automatically changing the adjusting range from a wider to a narrower adjusting range whenever the belt is changed from a buckled state to an unbuckled state.